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20th anniversary of Bon Scott's death this weekend

The World Today Archive - Friday, 18 February , 2000 00:00:00

Reporter: Denise Knight

COMPERE: If you were asked to nominate Australia's greatest export musical talent, who would you nominate? Well, no matter who'd you choose, the answer in terms of dollars earned is AC/DC. Well, I guess that no one knew better about the long way to the top that AC/DC's celebrated hard-drinking front-man, Bon Scott. Originally the car driver for the group, after messing about on drums with a couple of other less successful '60s and '70s rock groups, Ronald Belford Scott took over as the front-man in the mid '70s, but as AC/DC made it to the big time on the world stage, Bon Scott's propensity to drink up big bought him undone. This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of his death in London after a drinking binge while on tour. Thousands of fans are expected to make the pilgrimage though to Scott's grave in Fremantle to honour the singer whose hits include the prophetically titled Highway To Hell.

Denise Knight reports:

DENISE KNIGHT: As rock legends go, they don't come any grittier than AC/DC's Bon Scott. To his fans he's the ultimate rock and roll icon, front-man and rebel, symbolising the angst of his generation. In 1979, the Highway to Hell album was released and AC/DC was blasted onto the world stage.

Music critic, Bruce Elder:

BRUCE ELDER: I guess that the important thing about Bon Scott was that he was a genuinely larger than life character and he is remembered as that with great affection. I think that every photograph we see of Bon Scott there is something wicked and wonderfully, "Hey, this rock and roll and I'm having a great time" about him, and that is the most powerful memory, and that is why he endures in our minds much more powerfully and much more potently than any one of say a hundred other tragic rock deaths that have just slipped by.

DENISE KNIGHT: Bruce Elder said Scott's lyrics were often explosive.

Because Highway To Hell was criticised, wasn't it, by the churches, and AC/DC at the time were accused of being Satanists.

BRUCE ELDER: Oh, and not only that, they were writing songs like She's Got the Jack which is hardly, you know, an endearing song about a woman with venereal disease. I mean, you know, in a very real way they were absolutely pushing the limits. When you've seen Angus leap out on stage and you've gone, "Wow, look, the lead guitarist is wearing shorts and a school uniform," where do you go from that?

DENISE KNIGHT: Always a rebel, Ronald Belford Scott migrated to Australia with his Scottish family in the 50s. Often seen with a boa constrictor around his neck, Bon Scott once tried to join the army but was deemed socially maladjusted. But it was his heavy drinking that ended his flamboyant life. After a binge in London, the 33 year old was found dead in his car outside a friend's flat. Bon Scott lived fast and died young.

His friend and biographer, Clinton Walker:

CLINTON WALKER: It's kind of sad that there is that kind of - that mythos in rock and roll, but you know, it was a totally integral part of his whole appeal. I mean, it's an edge, it's dangerous. I mean, you know, we love danger, and we do actually love kind of badness as in kind of, you know, politically incorrect kind of badness, if you know what I mean. We're sort of drawn to those things for whatever reason.

DENISE KNIGHT: Of course tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of his death. Does it seem like it was 20 years ago?

CLINTON WALKER: Yeah, 20 years. Since then it's quite incredible. It would have made him only - I mean, he was a young man, he was 33. Sort of, he was way too young to die. You know, he could have gone on to a solo career. I reckon he would have, and he kind of liked country rock music and blues, and I reckon he would have done that just so well too.